Method of making wheel rims



June 1 1926.

' A. J. MIGHELINv METHOD or maxing WHEEL RIMS Filed July 31, 1922 TORNE Y Patented June 1, 1926.

UNITED; srArEs -1,5a,1.ozo

JU LES MIOHELIN, 0F PARIS, IRANGE.

METHOD OF MAKING WHEEL RIMS.

Application filed July 31, 1922. Serial 1I'o. 578,733.

This invent-ion relates .to an improved method of'making wheel rims.

Heretofore, it has been the practice to make vehicle wheel rims from a,flat strip of uniform thickness, by bending the strip into a ring and welding the abutting ends of the strip together, thus forming a continuous ring or cylindrical band, and then rollingthis ring or band in a heading or flanging machine to turn or bend upthe edge portions so as to form the tire-retaining flanges of the rim. The flat strip of material, from which the rim is made, has been of uniform thickness and such thickness has been determined by the amount of metal required to prevent rupture at certain points where the metal is bent in the heading or flanging operation. This has involved an excess of metal at other points in the rim, which are not subjected to any strains such as are caused by the beading or flanging operation.

The chief object of my inventionis to provide an improved method of making wheel rims by means of which a lighter and cheaper rim may be made without sacrifice ing any of its strength,

Further objects, and objects relating to details and economies of operation, will definitely appear from the detailed descrip-- tion to follow. In one instance, I accomplish the objects of my invention b the devices and means described in the tbllowing specification. My invention is clearly defined and -pointed out in the appended claims. One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which: 4

Fig. 1 is an enlarged,-transverse, sectional view through the stri showing how it differs in thickness at fi'erent points.

Fig. 2 is a flan view of the ring or cylindrical band ormed from a strip of metal. gig. 3 is a plan view of the finished rim, an

Fig. is a section through the rim on line 4-4 of'Fig. 3.

In the drawing, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views.

My invention consists in departing from the common practiceof making rims and using a strip of spe'cialsection from which to form the rim instead of a fiat strip of uniform thickness throughout. In accordance thicker portions of .or cylindrical band and the ends 10, are welded together, at 16, so as to make This conof the strip being welded together to makethe ring continuous, and this continuous ring is then passed through a beading or flanging operation, which bends the metal, at the retaining flanges as may be desired.

In this application, I have shown, as one specific embodiment of my invention, the method of making a clincher rim for an automobile wheel. The rim is made from a strip or blank, 10, of metal, said strip being, preferably, a mill section rolled so as to var in thickness at different portions thereo as shown in Fig. 1. Referring to that view, it will be seen that there is a central zone, 11, extending longitudinally of the strip, 10, which is of uniform thickness and is the thinnest portion ofthe strip.

the blank, to form tire- J On either side of this central zone, 11, but

spaced therefrom, are the arallel zones, 12, which extend the length of the strip and are of uniform thickness and, in this instance, of the same thickness as zone, 11. Between the central'zone, 11, and the zones, 12, there are the longitudinally extending zones, 14, in which the thickness varies, increasing from the sides to the center of each zone, as shown in. Fig. 1. On the zones, 12, there are the longitudinally-extending zones, 13, which increase in thickness as oneapproaches the outer edge of the zone, as appears from Fig. 1. The side edges of the strip, 10, are rounded and thickened at 15.

outer edges of.

A stri 10, havinga crosssection such as just escribed, is rolled to form a ring of strip,

the ring or band continuous. tinuous ring or band is then placed in a heading or flanging machine, and the edge portions thereof are bent up so-that the ring is given a cross-section, such as shown in Fig. 4, forming the finished rim. Thus the central zone, 11, of the strip, 10, forms the rim base, 20, and'the ,metal is bent upwardly, at 17, and inwardly, at 18, forming the flanges of the clincher rim.

It is to be noted that the bends; 17, occur in the thickened zones or portions, 14, of the strip, 10, and the bends, 18, in the thickened zones or'portions, 13, while the enlar d or thickened edge portions, 15, form the eads,

19, at the edges of the rim flanges. Thus 'there is no particular strain and no danger of rupture at such points. The result is that a rim constructed in accordance with this invention is lighter than rims heretofore made of equal strength and can be made more cheaply since the amount of metalflused is reduced.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with the manufacture of a rim of the clincher type but I wish it to be understood that it is not restricted to a rim of this type but is applicable to other types of rim, such as transplit and uick-detachable rims.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in this application may be varied considerably without departing from the spiritof my invention and, hence, I claim my in vention broadly, as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I" claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The method of making wheel rims comprising the takingof a strip of varying cross-section, bendmg said strip and uniting the ends thereof to form'a continuous cylindrical band, and flanging said cylindrical band along its zones of greater'section.

2. The method of making wheel rims comprising the taking of-a strip of metal of varying cross-section, having one or more zones of uniform cross-section and one or more zones of thicker and varying crosssection, said zones extending longitudinally of the strip, curving said strip and uniting the ends thereof to form a continuous cylindrical band, and bending said strip in a zone of thicker and varying cross-section to form a rim flange.

3. The method of making wheel rims comprising the taking of a strip of metal havin a central, longitudinally-extending zone 0 uniform cross-section and a zone of thicker and varying cross-section at one side of said central zone, curving said strip and uniting the ends thereof to form a continuous cylindrical band, and bending the strip in said zone of thicker and varying cross-section to form a side flange of the rlm.

prising the taking of a strip of metal having a central'and side zones of uniform thickness, and zones of varying and thicker cross- 560131011 interposed between the central and 'sidezones, curving the strip and uniting the ends thereof to form a continuous cylindrical band, and bending the edge portions of the strip at points in the zones of thicker and varying cross-section to form rim flanges.

6. The method of making wheel rims which consists in rolling the stock of the rim to thicken it' in zones where subsequent bending is to take place, and thereafter bending the rim in these zones to form flanges and simultaneously reducing the thickness of the sections so bent.

7. The method of making wheel rims of bent cross section which comprises first forming a strip of metal of thick and thin cross section, the thick section being such that when bent to the required degree it is reduced to substantially the same thickness as the thin section, secondly, bending the strip of thick and thin section into the form of a band of the approximate diameter of the rim desired to be formed, thirdly, uniting the approximate ends thereof, and fourthly, bending the band to form the rim flange and reduce the section as aforesaid.

8. As an article of manufacture, a length of strip material for forming wheel rims having a transverse section of a width sufficient to form the complete rim section, a thickness at bend points suflicient to guard against rupture in the forming operation and to give adequate strength to the completed rim, and a thickness intermediate the bending zones on opposite sides less than the thickness aforesaid, whereby rimsof greatly increased lightness may be formed.

9. The method of forming wheel rims which consists in forming a strip of a width sufficient to constitute both the body and the flanges and thickened in cross section at the regions Where the flanges are to be formed, and thereafter subjecting the strip to bending operations which reduce the thickened section and form the flanges.

In testimony whereof. I aflix my signature.

ANDRE J ULES MICHELIN. 

